Bristol-Plymouth, Coyle-Cassidy to meet for first time in a quarter of a century

It has been a little over a quarter century since the Coyle-Cassidy and Bristol-Plymouth High football teams last played.

By Kevin R. LaBounty

The Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, MA

By Kevin R. LaBounty

Posted Sep. 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 28, 2012 at 8:34 PM

By Kevin R. LaBounty

Posted Sep. 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 28, 2012 at 8:34 PM

TAUNTON

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It has been a little over a quarter century since the Coyle-Cassidy and Bristol-Plymouth High football teams last played.

But, weather permitting, the Warriors and Craftsmen will face each other this afternoon at 4 p.m. at Bristol-Plymouth High. The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m., but the time was moved up due to the threat of EEE.

Coyle-Cassidy head coach and athletic director Tom Pileski and Bristol-Plymouth head coach and athletic director John Parris both hope it becomes an annual event.

“We already play Taunton every year on Thanksgiving, but we would also love to play Bristol-Plymouth every year,” Pileski said. “We are trying to play them in more and more sports each year. It is a nice inter-city rivalry. We would love to continue playing them in football. The kids on the teams know each other and have respect for each other.”

“It will be a great match-up,” Parris said. “These are two area teams with kids predominantly from Taunton on them. We want to get the area to recognize that we have some great football. This game has been a long time coming. It will fun. We are two evenly-matched teams. Any time you play a team that is located close to you, it is a rivalry. Regardless of who wins or loses, both teams will feel good about themselves.”

Each squad enters the game coming off a victory. Following tough, close losses to begin the campaign against Greater New Bedford Voke and Martha’s Vineyard, the Craftsmen secured their first victory last Saturday in Harwich over Cape Cod Tech.

“The strength of our team this year has been the great character of the kids,” Parris said.

The Warriors are 2-1, eclipsing their victory total from the 2010 and 2011 seasons combined with a hard-fought win over Carver last Saturday on the Ronald F. Arieta Football Field at Hopewell Park.

“Our strength this year simply is that the kids have had a very positive attitude,” Pileski said. “The kids are still learning, but are improving as far as their mechanics and knowing where to be on the field.”

It was a nice bounce-back win for Coyle-Cassidy, coming off a tough loss to Middleboro a week earlier. To make matters worse senior captain and starting quarterback Dylan Greene injured his ankle in the closing stages of the game, but was able to return to the lineup last week against Carver.

Greene is essential to the success of the Warrior offense with his ability to run and throw as well as his decision-making.

“The fact that Dylan can both pass the ball and run with it is a major benefit for us,” Pileski said. “It causes teams to have to take a lot of extra time preparing for him and us.”

Page 2 of 2 - An important factor in the Warriors’ 2-1 start is the fact that they have only had one turnover in three games and that was a fumble in the game against Middleboro.

“We have worked very hard on ball security,” Pileski said. “It is extremely important.”

Greene has scored five touchdowns in three games this year as has junior running back Joshua Cobb, which leads the team in that category. Senior wide receivers Cy Ryding and Louis Graziano are also both excellent targets for the Warrior signal-caller.

“Cobb is a very good back,” Parris said. “Greene runs very well and is a good passer. They are well-rounded. The can hit you quick. They are very well-coached and have smart kids. On defense, they are pretty stout up the middle and have good team speed.”

Junior Colin McGrath directs a Craftsmen offense that exploded for 308 yards last week in Harwich, including 228 on the ground. McGrath had a five-yard scoring run, but senior captain and wide receiver Yoseph Ali was the big star on the day with a 80-yard reception from McGrath for a touchdown and also a 54-yard run for a score.

“There are two things that make their offense tough to defend,” Pileski said. “One, they can throw the ball. They have speed. But number one and most important is that they have kids who can run the ball. The big thing for them is their speed. They can come at you in a lot of different ways on offense. They have a nice balanced attack.”

The Bristol-Plymouth running attack is potent and is led by senior captain Adam Mota, seniors Jared Barros and Andrew Lefebvre and junior Elijah Jones.

“Adam is at 80 percent right now,” Parris said, his standout running back having suffered a shoulder injury against Martha’s Vineyard two weeks ago. “He is a leader on the field. Adam at 80 percent is as good as anyone else at 100 percent. But we can come at you from all angles on offense. We are like a four or five-headed monster on offense.”

Over the first three games, the Warriors have averaged 25.7 points on offense, while the defense has surrendered 18 points per game. The Craftsmen are averaging 20.3 points on offense, while the defense has allowed on an average of 16.7 points per contest.

“You don’t what type of defense you are going to see,” Pileski said. “In their first three games, they have mixed it up. They have played a 4-3, a 4-4 and a 5-2. That poses problems as you prepare to play them. It is a question of which defense will show up or if all three will show up. We also have to find a way to nullify their speed on defense.”